The line-up of music and musicians is now complete for MusicIC 2012, Iowa City’s summer classical music festival, which returns for a second year with a weeklong series of concerts and other events June 10-16. MusicIC’s theme, “Where Literature and Music Meet,” continues a tradition of linking the music with Iowa City’s rich literary tradition. All festival events are free and open to the public.
The main events are three concerts featuring more than a dozen musicians, including those from the University of Iowa School of Music, in a variety of ensembles on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, June 14, 15, and 16. The concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church and the Englert Theater in downtown Iowa City.
Thursday’s concert at Trinity Episcopal features music by Franz Schubert, including a selection of his lieder—songs based on poems and written for one voice and piano—and his Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 114, D. 667, also known as “The Trout.” It is based on the melody of one of the lieder to be performed that evening. A patron so admired it that he asked Schubert to incorporate it into an instrumental piece. The evening’s performance, A Schubertiade: Music Inspired by Animals, also features Martin Andrews, co-founder of Iowa City’s Working Group Theatre, who will read from the related literary source before each piece.
Friday’s concert, also at Trinity Episcopal, has been dubbed Proust’s Musical World. In a twist on Thursday’s concert, which features music inspired by poetry, this concert features music that inspired literary works by the French novelist Marcel Proust. Martin Andrews will again read, and festival musicians will perform Camille Saint-Saëns Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 75 and Gabriel Fauré’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 15. Scholars have cited these two, among others, as the possible inspiration for a fictional work of music that plays a continuing role in Proust’s Swann in Love.
As previously announced, Saturday’s concert, at the Englert, is Pierrot Lunaire: Celebrating the Centennial of the Premiere, conducted by Jason Weinberger. This performance will honor the first performance of Arnold Schoenberg’s piece, which set to music 21 poems. Translations of the poetry will be projected on the stage, and the texts and translations will also be available on the MusicIC website, as will program notes for each concert.
The festival continues its commitment to young musicians with Iowa City roots. Soprano Meagan Brus, pianist Conor Hanick and double bassist Emmet Hanick are featured performers. Their parents are Chris Brus and Pat and Kevin Hanick, all of Iowa City.
The other musicians who will perform are Tricia Park and Robin Scott, violin; Maurycy Banaszek, viola; Jay Campbell and Andrew Janss, cello; James T. Shields, clarinet; Emi Ferguson, flute; Stephen Swanson, baritone; and Rene Lecuona and Lynda Hakken, piano.
Other events to be held earlier in the week are as follows:
• Sunday, June 10, 3:30 p.m., UI Museum of Natural History, Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! This family concert features music inspired by animals and will be followed by a scavenger hunt in the museum’s exhibits.
• Tuesday, June 12, 7 p.m., University Capitol Centre Recital Hall, What Proust Heard: Music, Memory, Inspiration, a conversation with musical performances. Hugh Ferrer, associate director of the UI International Writing Program, will facilitate.
• Wednesday, June 13, 11 a.m., University Capitol Centre Recital Hall, a continuation of Tuesday night’s conversation and performances.
Supporters of MusicIC are the UI Office of Vice President for Research and the UI Division of Performing Arts, which is a unit of the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Festival partners include the Iowa Summer Writing Festival, Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature, Hancher, West Music Co., the UI Museum of Natural History, and Iowa City Summer of the Arts. Additional support comes from Linn Street Café, Leaf Kitchen, and Deluxe Cakes and Pastries.
You can follow MusicIC on Twitter at MusicICiowa.